A Prospect A Day: Wide Receivers, Josh Doctson Scouting Report

Watching his tape is an absolute pleasure. During this season, you’ll hear a lot of teams talking about finding guys that check off all the boxes and Doctson is absolutely one of those guys.

Just as impressive downfield as he is as a possession receiver over the middle, Doctson has the ability to chameleon into any role and be a meaningful contributor immediately at the next level. He can climb the ladder, plays the ball at its highest point beautifully, runs crafty routes and can out-physical just about any defensive back.

As if that weren’t enough, he’s also one of the best blockers I’ve ever evaluated. He sprung four touchdowns with his blocks on the tape I saw. He’s constantly hustling back to the play to contribute and clearly has a team-first mentality.

The only slight knock I have on him is he needs to gain more yards after the catch consistently. He doesn’t quite have the world class speed or freakish size either. But he will be a brilliant pro, no doubt. And the team that drafts him will have found a WR2 for the ages.

Hands: 18 out of 20

Doctson rarely drops a ball, and when he does, it’s usually while he’s several feet in the air or contorting his body in some way. He must work on being a more consistent hands-catcher as he lets some reach into his body.

Route Running: 16 out of 20

He doesn’t have the razor-sharp cuts of the great route runners, but makes up for it with a strong understanding of how to play his assignments like a fiddle. Still, better cutting would make creating separation easier.

Blocking: 15 out of 15

Simply spectacular in this regard. Doctson’s technique, effort and all-around effectiveness as a blocker make him stand out constantly on film.

Athleticism: 14 out of 15

He might have the best vertical in the class, he generates a ton of force from his legs. He’ll probably also run a solid 40, shows above-average acceleration and burst to go with average NFL speed.

Run after catch: 11 out of 15

The one part of his game he really needs to improve as a pro, Doctson is too content to fall forward for a couple of extra yards rather than maintain balance and fight for more.

Size: 7 out of 10

He’s clearly not fully grown into his frame, could use more weight in the midsection as he is extremely tapered.

Body Control: 5 out of 5

Shows ridiculous ability to contort himself, leap for high balls and maintain composure through contact.

TOTAL PROSPECT RATING: 86 out of 100

NFL Comparison: Michael Floyd, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Possessing similar frames, both dominate at the point of the catch, using savvy route-running and impressive athleticism to high-point the ball on deep throws. Both also possess the toughness and willingness to run a full route tree, including routes over the middle. As a bonus, both are standout blockers as well.